Recently the wife and I were in Pittsburgh, a tremendous place for railfanning. We stopped at Station Square for dinner and then took in the sights along the tracks and the skyline.
Below, my wife Judy stands in front of the former P&LE passenger station and corporate headquarters. The P&LE was primarily a hauler of steel-related freight; this 1902 station was their brief foray into passenger service. For some time, the building has been home to a number of businesses and a restaurant called the Grand Concourse. The vaulted dome inside is simply spectacular.
Another view of the former P&LE station.
A CSX automobile unit train graced us with its presence.
In the foreground is a drover's caboose on static display while the train passes. In the background you can see the crenulated towers of PPG Place.
Here's a better photo of the drover's caboose.
Here's the other end of the drover's caboose.
Also pictured is a wooden combine. It's in pretty rough shape.
Here's Judy standing in front of the Smithfield Street Bridge. This is a lenticular truss bridge across the Monongahela River that originally carried both automobiles and trolleys. Wikipedia tells us that it was designed by Gustav Lindenthal, the engineer who later designed the Hell Gate Bridge.
Another shot of the rest of the bridge.
Those 7 small buildings close to the waterfront are supposedly the oldest surviving structures in the city.
Pittsburgh is an awesome place to see trains.
George
